If you are in Kolkata during Durga Puja, please keep one of these days (morning) free to allow Let's Meetup Tours to take you on a memorable trip of the traditional Pujas of the affluent families of the city, called Bonedi Bari Puja.
So for all those who thought that Durga Puja is all show business for oneupmanship, glamour and glitz, more of a carnival for merry making than the ritualistic worship, it's time to think again. Whilst what you see in the pandals outside is "sarvajanik" (for everyone) in nature, there's the original, traditional Durga Puja at play in several family houses, rich in cultural and religious attributes, more private in nature. These are the rituals of the affluent families of Bengal, some dating back more than two centuries.
The traditional household Pujas of Kolkata are also known as Bonedi Barir Puja in Bengali. The Bonedi Bari Durga Puja in Kolkata is not just a remembrance of the past; it is an emotion for the family members. The term "Bonedi" is said to be derived from the Urdu word "Buniyaadi", which when translated roughly means foundational. Rich In heritage and customs, these Pujas are performed in the household temples inside what you could still call mansions, they are mostly concentrated in North Kolkata, which is the older part of the metropolis. Each one has it's own story of a glorious past and a tale of transition to the modern times, but having retained the essential values and traditions. At the Shobhabazar Rajbari you are greeted outside the gate by a trader of Itr (essence), and apparently, this is going on for centuries. At the "Thanthania" Dutta Bari, Durga isn't worshipped the way we are used to seeing, but she is held in Shiva's lap. At Rani Rashmoni's house, the faces of the idols are not made from a mould, but hand crafted by the artisans, and so on. The total expenditure on the Durga Puja of the Chunder family in 1902 was Rs. 1,793/- only, can you believe that? That included a payment of Rs. 236 to Jan Byjee (a nautch girl) and Rs. 315 for a Jatra (folk play).
The emotions associated with these Pujas are that of pride, affluence, privacy, traditions, cultural heritage, inheritance and safekeeping of history, unlike the pompous public pujas that are commercial in nature, competing with one another for recognition and prizes, and have the flexibility of changing themes according to what's trending currently. The Bonedi Bari Pujas are static thematically, and perhaps frozen in time.
Let's Meetup Tours did a splendid job of the coverage of the few Pujas by virtually taking us to each doorstep and being guided by Mr. Sujit Chattopadhyay, a historian and author in his own right, the tour was a richly informative and enlightening experience. I highly recommend this one. You finish with a sumptuous lunch at the Lalit Great Eastern Hotel, one of my favourites in respect of their stay and food both, and it leaves you on a high.